SIMPLE PLEASURES

Somehow, another week has passed since my last entry. In the summertime, the weeks just seem to fly past even if the workdays drag. Summer seems to be such a precious commodity in this part of the country. Yes, we all complain about the heat and humidity and look for some relief from the heat. However, when it is all over I, for one, am never ready for the fall to come.

Perhaps that is because there are just so many little moments of happiness that the warm weather provides me with. Whether it is eating my breakfast on the patio before heading out to work, or reading a book outside under a tree during my lunch break, or seeing the newest blooms that have come out of the perennials in my garden as I pull into my driveway at the end of the day, even my workweek is punctuated by moments of simple pleasure. They require little or no effort on my part. Despite what the advertising world would have us believe, these priceless opportunities do not require the use of a Mastercard. They simply present themselves if we are open to them.

I went to the beach today with my children, my sister, and her children. Four kids, one baby, and two adults. I must say we felt a little outnumbered by the children and there was a lot of whining and complaining done by the kids and snapping and ordering around done by us. But somewhere between sitting in traffic on the southbound Garden State Parkway with five kids packed in the back and the dusting off of sand and gathering of shovels and pails and towels, we found a few moments of pure bliss.

First, I must say that there is nothing that compares to the ocean beaches for a day at the beach. The saltwater breezes, the crashing waves, the unwashed masses. It is all part of the experience. Standing at the water's edge, jumping over the sea foam as the waves crash is something that brings out the true child in all of us. As the kids scream and giggle at the cool waves crashing around their legs, I sit back and just take it all in. All the kids together having the time of their lives. All is right with the world. The next moment of terror - when one gets knocked over after being hit by an unexpectedly strong wave - is quickly replaced by giddy relief as I fish him out of the foot of water he is laying in. Not only is he fine; he is instantly ready for another wave.

For the adults, there is always people-watching to keep us entertained. Whether it is the Grandma in the string bikini, the lady washing a few too many crevices on her body in the foot showers, or the little girl beating on her brother while the parents sit by oblivious to what is going on, sitting on the beach is like the original reality show. We get little glimpses into the lives of other people, and we feel a little better about our own.

So, my assignment for this week, and if you wish yours, is to look for satisfaction in the little things in life that cannot be bought. I will spend some extra time just playing with my kids. Perhaps, I will weed the garden for a while (the good lord knows it needs it!). Or maybe I will just sit on a park bench while my kids play and take it all in. I have heard countless times that I will blink and their childhood will just be a memory. But you can't have memories if you don't make memories.

Money Well Spent

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First, I want to thank everyone who responded to last week's blog with comments either here or on Facebook. Your feedback keeps me writing!

Since starting this blog I have been thinking about the value of things a little more. This week I am considering which things I spend money on that I get the most return on. I know I have been guilty of being an emotional spender, using little purchases to make myself feel better when I am down in the dumps. Later, I regret the purchase or even forget about the item that I just had to have at that moment. However, there are some things that really do provide me with great returns on my investment in terms of pure and lasting enjoyment.

One thing well worth the money is my gym membership. Even though I could stay in shape by simply running on the treadmill and doing exercises at home, realistically I need the incentive of a place to go. It is an escape of sorts, devoid of housework and children and pets and workplace anxieties. When I go to the gym now, the experience is no different than it was twenty years ago. Well, perhaps there are a few more aches and pains afterwards. Still, unlike other diversions, I never regret making a trip to the gym. Whether I need the mindless fun of a Zumba class or the get-your-aggressions-out fervor of kickboxing class or just an air-conditioned spot to run without the heat exhaustion, the gym fits the bill.

My Ipod is also something that brings me great return for my investment. Music is one of the few commodities that continues to bring pleasure over many uses. Think about it. Watch a movie once and it blows you away. The next time you may still enjoy it somewhat but it has become predictable, and the experience is diminished. The same goes for books. A song, however, can be enjoyed many times. Sometimes, as the years pass, the song becomes even more enjoyable because it has become embedded with meaning. Perhaps it reminds you of a certain time or event or person in your past. Perhaps it evokes a certain mood. When I want a pick-me-up, some upbeat music can help my mood. If I want to wallow in my woes, a sad song feels just right. Also, I can now forget about carrying a few dog-eared and out-of-date photos of my kids in my wallet. Now I have a wealth of pictures of my kids right at my fingertips. The fact that I can contain all those memories, moods, and emotions in one tiny device that goes everywhere with me still amazes me.

On a side note, I almost bought some shampoo at the grocery store the other day because it was on sale. Then I remembered my commitment from last week and relented. I have been using what I have on hand already and have not even made a dent in the mountain of soaps and shampoos in my cabinet. Also, I have been trying to make use of some of the items in my pantry. This week I made cornbread and chocolate pudding, which my family thoroughly enjoyed and no trip to the grocery store was necessary (well not until we ran out of milk, anyway).

On a final note, if you are going drink processed drinks anyway, why not get them in powder form so all that liquid weight does not have to be transported, and all those bottles and cans do not have to be used? True, they can be recycled, but is it not better if they are not needed at all? Instead of buying a case of bottles of iced tea or a big jug of lemonade at the grocery store or, worse, soft drinks out of the soda machine, you can get a container of powdered drink mix. This works for drinking at home or on the go. You can use a reusable water bottle, measure out the powder, and then add cold water when you are ready to drink it. My favorites are the 4C diet iced tea mix for me and the Country Time pink lemonade for the kids. I already do this sometimes but am going to commit this week to totally avoid buying soda from the machine at work. Not only is it better for the planet but it also will save me a lot of dough. And for everyone reading this, if you must use bottled water or soda, please recycle!

Necessary Objects?

I have finally decided to jump on the blogging bandwagon. I know I am about half a decade behind everyone else, but that seems to be nothing new for me. I had been toying with the idea for some time but finally after watching the movie "Julie and Julia" I was spurred to action. The character in the movie was turning thirty and felt she had not put her voice out there. I am almost seven years older than that, I thought. So what am I waiting for?

I decided to start looking at the other blogs out there and stumbled upon one about global warming that completely horrified and scared the dickens out of me. This is not the first time this has happened to me. I hear the description of a news story and I know it will create all kinds of anxiety over something I have very little control over. Yet, like a gawker at the scene of a car accident I have to click the link and read the bad news. Needless to say I did not get much sleep last night.

"But what can I do?" I thought to myself, as I tossed and turned and buried my nose in my four year old's mess of hair, listening to his peaceful breathing and wishing I could hold him in my arms and protect him from the world forever. I am just a suburban working mom.

My thoughts returned to the idea of blogging and I decided I would try to make small changes and blog about it. One realization that came to me was that despite the fact that many physical objects can now be encapsulated in a digital format (i.e. photos, books, journals, music, movies) that fits into a 12 inch laptop, our lives still seem to be more and more cluttered, or at least mine does.

My pantry is overflowing with condiments, spices, and other ingredients that are probably well past expiration. I am constantly tripping over toys that my kids seldom if ever play with. The bathroom cabinet is also jammed with beauty treatments long forgotten. I can't be the only one who suffers from this affliction. I know from watching that show "Hoarders" that my case is very mild. The clutter is generally contained to the inside of cabinets (okay and the top of my coffee table), but I can't be the only one who watches the spectacle and recognizes that the individuals in these shows are just extreme examples of something many of us suffer from. Our acquisitiveness has become an addiction.

So I start this blog with the question...are all these things necessary? For today's challenge I am making a commitment to not bring home any more soaps, shampoos, or conditioners until all of the ones in my house are used up. That includes the little ones you get at the hotel. Why do I feel the need to take every sample left for me in a hotel room? I have so many of them. I have come to realize that these free samples are not really free. They are taking up room in my cabinets, space in the landfills, not to mention some of them are so darn hard to open. Yet, open them I will. I will use every little bottle up, and when it's empty drop it in the recycling bin and get it out of my house once and for all.